


Hide and Seek

by CyanideShirogane



Series: Fire Emblem Fates Where Everything's The Same Except Gerome Is In It And He Has A Daughter [1]
Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates, Fire Emblem: Kakusei | Fire Emblem: Awakening
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Art, Aside from the other three of course, Because that's just confusing to me, But yeah probably not a lot, Digital Art, Fluff and Angst, Gerome has a daughter, Hoshido and Birthright characters aren't mentioned much, I listened to one (1) song and came up with this whole AU, I mean there are characters from it in there occasionally, If there are then I will change the tags, Inigo/Laslow and Lucina are siblings, Inspired by Music, Mostly Gerome and Inigo, Multi, No Deeprealms, Nohr | Conquest Route, Original Character(s), Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Prince Inigo, Some of the Awakening kids come into the Fates universe, Trans Character, Trans Inigo, Trans Male Character, fan child, more pairings will probably be added
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-12
Updated: 2019-05-03
Packaged: 2019-07-29 19:07:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,552
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16270484
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CyanideShirogane/pseuds/CyanideShirogane
Summary: Gerome and Kjelle haven't seen their close friends and lovers in years. Kjelle was trying to move on, but Gerome couldn't leave the past behind. It all changed when a mysterious man offered to take them to be with their missing comrades, but they had no idea how much had changed.





	1. Stranger

"Again."

An iron axe was planted firmly into the side of a tree by a young girl. With a grunt, she pulled it out of the tree and turned to her father for approval.

"Your swing is still sloppy. Hold your hands sturdily on the handle. You aren't chopping wood, your hands should not be sliding down," he explained while demonstrating how to properly wield the weapon. The girl pouted slightly and nodded in understanding. She turned back at her target and took another swing.

"Is that better?" she raised her eyebrows slightly.

"Slightly."

"Michalis thought it looked better," she said, pointing over at her wyvern that was laying off in the distance.

"What do you think, Minerva?" her father asked the larger or the two dragons, which made a low grumbling noise. He turned back to his daughter, looking at her through his mask, "She says it needs improvement." She sighed and lowered her head. "Come now, Cielle. You have made great progress. I can assure you that you are doing much better than I was when I was your age."

"You're just saying that," Cielle mumbled.

"No, I am not. I promise to you that it is true," Gerome put his hand on his daughter's shoulder. She took a deep breath and regained her composure. "Now then, shall we call it quits for today? You have been practicing since dawn, I think you deserve it." Cielle nodded and pulled her iron axe out of the large tree, now with a decent amount of gashes in the sides of it. The two made their way towards their wyverns and put their weapons into the holders. She climbed onto Michalis, who was quite a bit smaller than Minerva, but still quite large. His grey scales shone in the late-afternoon sun. She grabbed onto the reins of his saddle and gave him a gentle pat as she waited for her father as he packed the last of their supplies into the pouches on his saddle. He then mounted himself on top of the large beast and gave a slight tug onto the reins to tell Minerva to fly up. Cielle followed after.

The breeze felt nice against the humid summer air. Gerome took one hand off of the reins and reached for the strap of his mask. The heat and humidity had caused him to sweat under the black cover over his eyes. The gust of wind that hit his face after he removed his mask was sharp, yet refreshing. He opened his eyes after taking in the sensation. The dark circles were prominent against his light skin, caused by lack of sleep and stress. He leaned down to the bag on the side of Minerva's saddle and slid his mask in there.

"Father?" Cielle asked, shouting a bit to make sure she could be heard.

"Hm?" he tilted his head back towards her a bit, but still keeping his eyes facing forwards.

"Do you regret not leaving with the others?"

There was a brief silence between the two. "No," he eventually said, breaking the silence. She nodded. Gerome was reminded of the moment that his heart had truly broken.

The memory was as clear as the blue sky above them. It was the night of a grand celebration in commemoration of the defeat of the Fell Dragon, Grima. Though it was two years after Chrom, the Exalt of Ylisse, had slain the beast, not much had changed. Gerome's friends and family had stayed the same. The lack of battles and constant peacetime became a bore to some, while others enjoyed being able to live their lives without worrying about any war. The children from the doomed timeline were now free to move on with their lives and seek new opportunities for themselves. A select few had wanted to do more with their lives than just live simply, but they never found the chance.

Until the chance found them.

\---

"Help! Please! I must save my home!" a stranger came running down the streets of Ylisstol, yelling out to anyone who would listen. The people gathered in the streets for the celebration looked at the hooded figure in confusion and disbelief. Gerome had taken notice of the commotion and sighed, trying to ignore the man that had begun grabbing onto the shoulders of random citizens. "Please!" the man begged. _This is ridiculous_ , he thought to himself, taking a sip of ale.

"What's going on over there?" a calm voice asked, walking over to the masked man. He looked to the direction of the voice to see Inigo, who was making his way over with two small pies. Both had easily fit in head of his hands, and one of them- which appeared to be strawberry- had a bite already in it. He handed Gerome the other pie, "Here you go."

"Thanks," Gerome looked back at the man as he stared at the two of them, "This guy ran into the festival shouting and asking for someone to help him save his home or something."

"Did you help him?" the shorter of the two tilted his head and lifted one eyebrow.

"No. He could be telling lies," he took a bite of the pie, which had a rich dark chocolate interior to it.

Inigo sighed, "Yes, but he could also be telling the truth-"

"You there!" the hooded man ran up to the pair, "You, the one of noble blood! Please, you must help me, my world is in grave danger. I cannot tell you anymore here. You must come with me, I beg of you." He grasped Inigo's pie-free hand and looked into his eyes. Inigo took a deep gulp and leaned back a bit, trying to distance himself from the stranger as he began to move closer and closer into the prince's personal space.

"I-If you're looking for some sort of some kind of 'Chosen Warrior', you could ask my sister? She's much more of the hero type than I am," Inigo tried his best to avoid eye contact, "Oh! Owain would love that, too! He's my cousin, and he loves stuff like this, and...um..." He tried to give his best princely smile, but couldn't quite pull it off. Gerome sighed and grabbed the man's hand and removed it from Inigo's. The hooded individual, who Gerome had noticed had blue hair that went past his shoulders, looked up at him. There was a thick silence between the three. Gerome could feel that the man was giving him a bit of a glare. "Anyways," Inigo cut through the tense air, "I am most sorry that we cannot be of assistance to you. I wish you the best of luck with protecting your village." The prince bowed a bit and began to walk off with his other half.

"You were chosen!" he yelled back at them as they walked away.

Inigo paused.

"You were chosen!" he repeated, "You and two others are the only ones who can save my kingdom from ruin!" Inigo bit his lip, taking in a few deep breaths. "If you come with me, I promise I can give you whatever you want! You can be free to live your life as you want. You can be your true self if you just help me! Please..."

The prince slowly turned back to him, "What do you mean...?"

"You have felt out of place in your kingdom, yes? If you join me, you can have a new start," he switched his gaze from Inigo to Gerome, "Both of you." The taller let out an exasperated sigh. Though it wasn't visible, he had rolled his eyes at the comment. "I know that you must have some trepidations with this, but I promise that it is all true. Where I am from is not like here." He extended his hand out to the two.

Inigo took a slow step forwards, trembling ever so slightly. The loud noise of the festival turned into a hum around him as he reached his hand out to the man. However, something grasping at his other hand snapped him back into the world that was surrounding the three. He turned and looked down to see his partner's hand holding tightly onto his. "I..." he trailed off, and looked back to the figure that had long since disappeared. "Who was that?"

"I don't know. We should get going."

"Yeah, you're right..." Inigo said quietly.

\---

"Are we going to be stopping in the village?" Cielle asked, pulling her father out of the memory. He shook his head and began to fly west towards a small house. It was a ways walk from the closest village, but short enough for a day trip.

"Straight to your room, young lady," Gerome said while they approached the cottage. She nodded and took the saddle off of Michalis, afterwards proceeding straight inside.

Minerva made a large yawn and lowered her head into the grass. The gentle winds blew past Gerome while he stood underneath the shade of the house. "Dammit," he gritted his teeth and rubbed his temples. "Dammit, dammit, dammit!" he banged his fist against the sides of the building. After a few deep breaths, he leaned his head up against his home, wiping his hands over his damp eyes.

There was a sudden hand on his shoulder. Whipping himself away from the touch, he saw Kjelle. She took a small step back. "She said you seemed upset," she nodded towards Cielle's window and then looked back at him, "What happened?" She was concerned, being as they were close friends and- according to Kjelle- rivals. After that night, the two had become each other's support systems. They had moved in together to ensure that neither of them would do anything harmful to themselves or others. After Cielle was born, Kjelle also helped in raising her. The three of them had become their own family.

"I miss him," he muttered. Kjelle nodded and put her hand on his back. "He said it wouldn't be long until they came back. Kjelle, its been years."

"I know," she said softly after a brief moment of silence between the two. They both remembered what they had lost, and neither wanted to forget. They were not the only ones of their group who had suffered a loss, though. After Owain had left, Brady left. He went into a life of solitude and no one as seen of him since. Laurent focused his grief in trying to find a way to bring them back, but ultimately found nothing. Lucina suffered greatly. She lost her cousin, best friend, and brother overnight. She spent days locked in her room, only coming out to eat once in a while. She never spoke to anyone, not even Chrom. They all began to feel a disdain towards their child counterparts in this timeline. They hadn't felt the agonizing feeling of losing someone that was a part of them. It was like war, and they were all missing an important piece to them. Brady lost the lungs that helped him breathe easy, Laurent lost the head that couldn't stop working, Kjelle lost the nerves that helped her feel, Lucina lost the legs that kept her standing strong and moved her along, Gerome lost the heart that he never knew he had. "Let's get you inside, it's getting dark," Kjelle gave him a reassuring pat on the back. There was a small nod as he shuffled inside.

"I'm going to bed," he made his way down a hall into a dark room and slammed the door shut behind him. Upstairs, a door creaked open. Looking out from behind it, Cielle had an expression full of worry.

"Everything will be okay, go to bed," Kjelle closed the door on Cielle before she began asking questions. With a sigh, Kjelle made her way to her room, trying to ignore the sound of things breaking from Gerome's room.

\---

"What in Naga's name are you doing?" Gerome stood at the door to Inigo's room. The blue haired young man was putting clothes into a knapsack, but jumped in surprise at the sound of Gerome's voice. He avoided eye contact as he shoved a picture of his family into his bag. "You're not seriously considering leaving, are you?"

"...Maybe," he sounded ashamed of himself.

"You don't even know this man," he started, changing his position to block the exit, "For all you could know, he could be planning to kill you, or worse."

"And how would you know?" Inigo muttered. He whipped his head around, face red with frustration. Tears stung his eyes, "You never trust anyone! You don’t know everything, and you certainly don’t know me. In fact, I don’t think anyone ever will at this rate. But...This place that that he mentioned...I can be myself there. He said that I can be free to be myself among people who are more accepting of me, but those people need help. If I don’t help them, Gerome, no one will. Plus, I want to help. I need to help. For their sake and mine, I'm tired of not doing anything. I can't just be like you and mope around for the rest of my days!" He pulled at his hair.

"What do you mean-"

"You know exactly what I mean!" Inigo's voice kept getting louder the more flustered he became, "You don't want to do anything! Just because I'm a prince and I have 'responsibilities' to the throne. Well guess what, Gerome? I don't! I'm the second born child to a throne in a time that I'm not even from. I don't belong here!"

"Inigo, everything that I've done was to protect you," he said calmly.

"I don't need protecting! I'm not some glass figure on display," tears began to trickle down his face, "I can't keep living like this." Gerome watched as Inigo walked closer to him and the door, both of them breathing uneasily. Inigo looked up at him, "How can you even call this living?" He dropped the bag that was slung over his shoulder onto the floor. His arms wrapped around the wyvern rider.

"Listen to me," Gerome spoke softly to attempt to reassure Inigo, "You need to calm down and think about this rationally. Please, just sit down and think about what you're trying to do." He led them to Inigo's bed, where they sat.

"Is it wrong to want more with my life?"

"No, you deserve more than what fate has given you."

"Then why aren't we taking this opportunity while we still have it?" There was a silence and tenseness between them that felt like it was choking them, not letting a word of reconcile come out. Before Inigo could get up to grab his belongings, Gerome grasped his arm.

"Y-You need to think this over," he forced words out of him, hoping that any of it would change the other's mind, "If...If you're positive that it will be safe for you, th-then you should at least take some time to think about it." He was becoming almost desperate for Inigo to stay in Ylisse. Inigo raised an eyebrow slightly and nodded. "Make your choice by tomorrow morning, and...and you can spend your last day doing anything that you want."

Inigo leaned in front of him, looking at his masked face. "Gerome, are you-"

"No," he wiped the bit of tears that were coming through from under his mask, "I just want you to make the right choice, and I just want to be able to spend one last night with you, since this may be the last time I ever see you."

"No, I-" Inigo hesitated, "I won't leave tonight. I'll make my choice in the morning, I promise."

\---

Glass and blood was scattered across the floor. A cacophony of grief played throughout Gerome's head as he remembered waking up that dreaded morning. He looked at his hands, red and punctured by broken shards of glass. He knew that it hurt, but he didn't quite feel the pain. No laceration felt as sharp and stinging as that letter did.

_Gerome,_

_I made up my mind long before you had spoken to me last night. You may be upset by this, and I understand why. I left before the sun had risen, but I swear to you that I left in the morning as I had promised. I know this wasn't what you wanted to see. I'm sorry. I would like you to know that I have already written letters for my family and they should be waking up anytime soon. Well, I would assume so, since you always wake up so early like they do. Anyways, they will be receiving the same news that you have gotten._

_By the time you are reading this, I will be long gone from Ylisse. I will not be coming back for some time, I would assume. Maybe a couple of months, or perhaps only a year. I will only be there to help Mr. Anankos, the man that we met, and then I will return home. Hopefully this will be able to knock some sense back into me, I guess! Haha!_

_I probably should not have laughed at that, now that I think on about it..._

_Gerome, I had a hard time writing this letter to you. I knew that I could not face you in the morning, though. This was most likely best for both of us. I will miss you dearly. Oh, and do not fret! I will not leave you for any cute girls or guys that I see! What kind of souvenir would you want? Maybe when I get back, we can_

_No._

_I cannot lie to you like this. I was trying to sound like I'm leaving you all on a positive note, but I know that this is hurting you to read. This is the fourth one that I have written to you, and, seeing you as you sleep now, I hope it is the last. I cannot bear to look at you anymore, or else I will change my mind. It will kill me knowing how much distress I am causing you all. You deserve more than one letter, and you deserve much more than me. Please try to forgive me. I do not expect you to, but it would make me happy if you could._

_If I am to not make it back, I want you to move on with your life. Please be happy, please do things that will make you forget that I ever existed, please find something or someone new to love, please do not be held down by the burden of me._

_I will forever be missing you._

_I love you._

_Goodbye._

_Love,_

_Inigo_

"Why didn't you say it to me?" Gerome whispered to the empty room as he plucked the glass from his hands like feathers from a pheasant. He placed both of them into a large washbasin, wincing at the sting of the ice cold water on the open wounds. He wrapped them up and grabbed the basin, which was now filled with a mixture of blood and water. The door creaked as he left his home to pour it out. He'd have to go down to the village tomorrow to fill it back up again.

The stars and moon granted him seldom light, but as he returned back to cottage, he saw a figure standing in front of it, looking towards him. The washbasin fell to the ground as the hooded man's blue hair shone slightly underneath the dim moonlight.

"It has been a while," Anankos extended his hand out to him, "hasn't it, Gerome?"


	2. Farewell

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gerome speaks with Anankos and, after getting gifts from the enigmatic man, visits an old friend. Later on, he, Kjelle, and Cielle decide on what to do with what has been given to them.

“What’re you doing here?” Gerome was trying his best to not run up the hill and attack him then and there. He made his way up towards the looming figure.

Anankos chuckled, “Worry not, my friend-”

“Don’t call me that.”

“Ah, yes, my apologies. Now then, Do you think we could talk for a moment?”

Gerome fixed his hair and crossed his arms, “About what?”

“You.” Anankos began to walk off into the patch of trees behind them. Begrudgingly, he went along with what the blue haired man said and followed close behind. There was a silence as Anankos looked up at the stars while walking. He kept his hood over his face, Gerome noticed. The dead of night atmosphere offered an eerie tranquility before he spoke again, “Don’t you think life is most beautiful when there is no one around to view it? Quite curious, wouldn’t you agree?” He smiled pleasantly.

Gerome rolled his eyes, “What are you getting at?”

“Oh, nothing,” there was a brief pause, “I see you left the capital city?”

He gritted his teeth, “You know why I left. You took my only reason to stay.”

“Ah, yes. That reminds me why I wished to speak with you. Due to my current state, my memory is lacking quite a bit.” Anankos reached into his robes and pulled out three glass orbs. They were small and glistened in the moonlight. They rolled around in his hands until he reached them out to Gerome. “These are for you.”

He took the spheres, which changed faintly between colors under the sky above. He cocked an eyebrow in confusion. “These orbs will allow you to travel through space and time,” the hooded man explained, “They were returned to my by my three champions. You remember them, yes?”

“‘Returned’?” Gerome echoed. Anankos nodded.

“None of them wished to come back to Ylisse.”

“Bullshit.” The vitriol of Gerome’s tone startled the interloper. “They wouldn’t chose to forget people who are important to them, that’s not who they are-”

“Please allow me to continue,” he sighed. With an annoyed nod from the other, he began to explain, “They all have something very important that they could never imagine leaving in Nohr. You have to understand. They brought these orbs to me to bring to you. They said that one was for you, one was for someone named Kjelle, and Laslow mentioned his sister.” _Who is Laslow and why should I care about his sister?_ Gerome thought to himself. Anankos chuckled, as if knowing what he had been thinking, “Perhaps you should give it to Lucina, then. One can give safe passage there, but you can use the other two to return home, if need be.” Gerome nodded and looked back at the orbs.

“Why are you giving me these?” he looked up at the strange man. The offer seemed too good to be true.

“Consider it an apology for what I have done to the people of Ylisse,” he said softly. Gerome nodded and thanked him, eyes fixed down upon the glistening orbs once again. Anankos sighed melancholically. “I suppose I should leave you be now. My time here is nearly up.”

“Where are you-” Gerome looked up to see nothing there but the darkness of night. He looked around at the rest of the area to find himself alone. He sighed.

He had a long night ahead of him.

 

 

Dawn peeked through the snow white blinds. Cielle yawned as she woke up, looking out of the window. “Training is usually at least an hour before sunrise,” she muttered to herself.

She quietly made her way down the typically creaking stairs. No one was there.

“Father?” Cielle looked around their household, “Aunt Kjelle?” The lack of response confirmed her suspicion. She made her way into the kitchen and opened a large jar of flour. Next to it was a small scrap of paper. She reached to pick it up, noticing the small splats of dried blood, she let out a worried sigh.

_Good morning Cielle, I will be out for the day today. Personal reasons. Kjelle has gone into town for the morning. There is no training or sparring today. Do not ask Kjelle to help you train either. We are both tired and you deserve rest as well. I will be back before sunrise tomorrow._

_Also, ignore the blood on the paper. I was in a bad place and it did not dry on my hands before I wrote this to you, but do not fret. I’m fine._

Cielle turned to the back of the page to see if there was anything else.

_Have a nice day._

She rolled her eyes with the faintest of chuckles. Placing the paper down, she poured the flour into a bowl.

“I wonder what ‘personal business’ he had…”

 

 

Flying back to Ylisse was easier said than done. Flying for hours had never been an issue, but flying for hours during thunderstorms was. “Minerva, we’re almost there. Once we land at the castle, you’ll be fine,” Gerome said as he gave her a reassuring pat on the neck.

As they flew over the capital of Ylisstol, he could feel his stomach turning. It was still the place that he remembered, but it felt different. As if it had become a shell of what it once was.

Gerome landed in the castle stables and placed Minerva inside. He practically lived in the castle before the three had left, so Minerva had had her own stable. Once she was situated, he made his way inside.

The halls were nearly empty, other than a few butlers and maids. It was grim and bleak, giving him a reminder of the time he was born into.

His footfalls were the only noise as he approached the princess’ room. He creaked the door open to se Lucina sitting by the window. She sighed, staring out at the summer storms.

“Lucina…” Gerome called out. She jumped out of her daze and turned to him. Her hair was short, almost resembling how she looked when she had taken on the guise of the Hero-King, Marth. She stood up and made her way over to him.

“Why are you here?” she nervously twisted her hands in one another.

“We need to talk.” She nodded, catching note of his tone. She brushed past him and walked along. He followed

“How have you all been?” Gerome wasn’t much for small talk, but he knew that they were all taking it much worse than he was.

“Mother is taking solace in him from this timeline and father has been finding more positive things lately. So,” she smiled softly, “I think things are getting better. Slowly, yes, but all wounds heal with time.” There was another beat of silence between them. “How are you guys-”

“We’re fine.”

They kept walking until the two reached the castle’s main garden. The rain splattered against the soft petals and onto the ground with a soft _plunk_. Gerome sighed and looked at Lucina. She was staring off at the roses. Their soft pink looked a pale orange in the summer’s evening rain.

“Why did you come here?” she kept her eyes fixed on the roses, “Our Inigo isn’t here anymore. You have no reason to be here anymore.”

Gerome clenched his fists and topped his shaking hands, “He wants us to come to him.” Lucina’s eyes widened. She turned to look at his stoic face in disbelief.

“How…” was all she could muster. Tears started to well up in her sapphire blue eyes., “You mean you found them?” Gerome shook his head.

“Not quite, I-”

“‘Not quite’?” she echoed.

He reached for his belt and grabbed the orbs from a small pouch. He handed them to her. She looked at them, “You mean to tell me that you intend to find the three of them with beads?” Her tone became sharp, possibly sharper than the Falchion.

Gerome stepped back and raised his hands up in defense, “They were given to me by the man who led them away and he said that these were what they used to leave our world.”

Lucina rubbed her temples. “So you decided to trust the man who, apparently, took them into another world with glass orbs? Do you know how foolish you sound?”

“Well, considering that we went back in time to fight a giant god dragon? No.” Lucina placed the orbs back in his hands and crossed her arms.

“I’m not going to leave Ylisse and my family just because you have a hunch from a magician, I’m sorry. I can’t.”

Gerome nodded and took one of the orbs and held it out to her. She looked down at it and then back up at him with an eyebrow raised.

“If you ever change your mind,” he held it in his palm. She sighed and grabbed it.

Lucina turned her back to him and walked back inside the halls of the castle. “You should get going,” she started, “You have a long trip ahead of you.”

He nodded and walked back to the stables. Behind him, he heard the sound of children running up to Lucina.

“Luci! Luci! Where’d you go? You promised to play dolls with me before bed!” this timeline’s Lucina tugged at the older’s arm. Her other arm was occupied by a boy who seemed significantly younger. He didn’t say anything. Gerome chuckled and kept walking. He reached the Wyvern stables and back to Minerva. He pet her head and pulled her out of the pen.

“Let’s go, Minerykins,” he hopped onto her back and they flew off into the air.

\---

“Lucina, I need to tell you something,” Inigo forced the words out of himself nervously.

 

“What is it?” she turned and looked up at her younger sibling from her war notes.

His face was a scorching arcfire red. He twisted his fingers like worms in a pile. Butterflies filled his entire body.

Gerome stood outside the tent.

“I, um, well…” he struggled, “Gerome and I, we-” he choked on his own words.

“Do you need to sit down? Water?” she asked worriedly.

“N-No…”

Inigo turned his head back to the entrance of the tent where the other was waiting for him. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

“Gerome and I are dating.”

“What?” Lucina furrowed her brows.  
  
Inigo nodded, waiting in silence for his sister’s reply.

“Did you tell Mom or Dad?”

“No…” he mumbled. Lucina nodded and took a moment. She pushed herself away from her notes and put her hands on Inigo’s shoulders.

“I want you to be happy, little brother, you know that, right? You know this is safe with me. I’m proud of you for telling me this and even more so for finding someone to be happy with.” She held him in her arms. Inigo could feel tears well up in his eyes.

“Thank you.”

\---

Kjelle opened the door upon hearing Gerome’s return. “What’s the plan?” she asked as he brought his things inside.

He looked at the two. “Get your things,” he said, “We’re leaving.”

Kjelle’s eyes widened, “What about Lucina?”

“Who’s Lucina-” Cielle asked quietly.

“She’s not coming. I gave her one of the beads, though.”

Kjelle nodded. “I’ll get my things then.” She turned and went to prepare for their travel.

Gerome turned and looked at his daughter. “We have to leave tonight.”

“I understand.”

“Do you need help?” he asked her. Cielle gave a surprised look at her father. After a moment, she nodded.

He pulled a bag out and turned to her, “Only bring what you need. We won’t be coming back.”

“Ever?” she looked around her room.

“Ever,” he echoed.

Cielle placed her clothing out, which Gerome placed neatly in the bag. She grabbed books and toys that she held close. She grabbed her personal items. Lastly, she stopped at a small picture beside her bed. “Father?” he looked over at Cielle, who was holding the painting. It had shown a woman pale hair and eyes the color of the ocean and Gerome. They were smiling. “Can I bring this?” Gerome stopped and looked at it for a moment before looking back up a Cielle.

“If you must.”

“Thank you,” she smiled softly.

There was a knock at the door as Kjelle slowly opened it to peek her head in. Their eyes glanced at her. “Everything’s ready. We can eat and then leave, if that’s alright with you two?”

Gerome chuckled, “You? Cooking?”

“Well I don’t see you doing anything,” she placed her hands on her hips.

“Ah-” he lifted up a garment quickly, “I was just folding clothes.” Kjelle shook her head.

“I’ll let it pass this time, but no more excuses from here on out. Got it?”

“Yes ma’am,” both father and daughter said in unison. She smirked and grabbed the packed items. Gerome put the last of Cielle’s belongings into her bag and slung it over his shoulder. “Let’s go eat,” he followed Kjelle downstairs with Cielle not far behind.

The meal was horrid, unlike their conversation. The three spoke of memories, both good and bad. Cielle remembered her third birthday, the same day she began to fly wyverns. Kjelle spoke of building this house with Gerome, while he reminded them about the plethora of tea parties that they had together. Their final meal was their happiest, but each of them had their own fears of what awaited them after.

After they had finished, Cielle roamed her once empty home. It was dark and dim, but she could still see her way around. Her father’s room was simple. A bed, a now empty clothing trunk, a collection of masks, and not much else. Kjelle’s room was across from her own upstairs. It smelled faintly of metal polish and fresh linen. She had maps up on her walls, as well as lances and armor hanging. Inside a small jewelry box was a ring that Cielle wasn’t allowed to touch. She said it was her mother’s wedding ring. Her own room was different from both her guardians. She had a bed with drapes going over top and sides. Her father said it came from Ylisse’s castle, but she didn’t believe him. There was a large mural of a winding tree that spanned her walls. It was adorned with flowers and birds. She had a simple animal hide rug and a box of what used to be old toys of hers. _Perhaps a family will find this place_ , she thought to herself. She smiled at the thought.

“Cielle, we’re heading out now,” Kjelle called out to her.

“On my way!” she hurried down the stairs, catching one final glimpse of the living room and kitchen. A memory of her and her father sitting by the fire as he read to her as a child came into her head. She sighed it away and stepped out of the door.

Both Michalis and Minerva had luggage strapped to their saddles. The two adults were in discussion as Cielle approached them.

“Is everything ready?” she asked.

“Almost,” Gerome said, “We just need to figure out one last thing.”

“And that is?”

“We’ll need new names. We can’t take any risks coming into this new world. There could be people from our time-” Kjelle paused, remembering their chilling past.

Gerome continued her statement, “-There could be people from our time that are still in allegiance to Grima and we can’t risk them finding us out.” Cielle nodded. She had been told stories about the future past of absolute destruction caused by the fell dragon.

“So what will they be?” she eyed the two curiously.

“Mine will be Kavelle,” Kjelle gestured to herself, “Gerome will be Gared, and you will be Cosette.”

There was a pause as she considered the names, “You guys are pretty bad at this whole ‘undercover’ thing.”

“We know,” they grumbled. Cielle, now Cosette, softly laughed at them and hopped up on her wyvern.

“Shall we be on our way then?” Kjelle and Gerome nodded and mounted their respective dragons. Kjelle held on tightly, still unaccustomed to flight. Gerome pulled one of the balls from the pouch and rolled it in his hand briefly before tossing it onto the ground. A large, swirling portal of bright light pierced through the darkness. He took a deep breath.

They flew through and the portal sealed shut behind them, leaving nothing but an empty cottage.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Sorry that it took so long to post this chapter, school has been busy for me as always. Anyways, the art for this chapter is by http://rubyredink.tumblr.com/ ! She's so talented and such an amazing person. I'm so glad to know her. If you happened to enjoy this chapter and fic in general, please leave kudos and let me know what you think in the comments! Thank you for reading and sticking with me through this!


	3. Aid

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The group arrives in Nohr, only to know nothing about the land that they have found themselves in. Luckily, they receive aid from a few of the denizens of that world.

Dazzling light shone through the trio’s eyes. It was a display that left them in awe, until it abruptly ended. The vivid spectrum of color vanished from them and instead a quiet, dull field took its place.

“Is this really it?” Kjelle took in her surroundings, or lack thereof. It was a barren field covered in a thick blanket of snow. A forest with an air of gloom was about a mile off of them.

Cielle shivered. It had only been the beginning of summer in Ylisse, now they were thrown into the midst of a long winter. Her eyes went to the dark grey skies above them, “Where are we?”

“Nohr,” Gerome said while climbing off Minerva’s back. As his feet hit the round, a stinging headache hit him. His hand reflexively went to his temples. Then, a familiar voice hit him. _Welcome to Nohr my friend, I’m pleased to see that the travel was safe. Now that I have done this favor for you, I wish for only one thing in return,_ Gerome gritted his teeth as Anankos spoke inside his head, _All I ask is that you follow any commands that I give, though they are not many. If you don’t, well, I have means of making you do it._ He gave no response to the pleasantly-said threat. Instead, the masked man turned behind them to see a small village that grew into a crown city the further it went.

“There,” he pointed at it, “Kjel- I mean, Kavelle and I will travel to the city and you, Cosette, will wait in the woods with Minerva and Michalis.” He glanced to his daughter, who nodded hesitantly.

Kjelle’s eyes darted between the two as Gerome explained his plan. “Don’t you think we should have her go with us? We don’t know what’s here and we shouldn’t risk splitting up this early.” However, he shook his head at her reasoning.

“Would you rather us split up for, what, about three hours or bring in two full-sized wyverns into a city that we know nothing about? Cielle knows damn well how to-”

“Cosette,” Cielle interrupted.

“-Cosette knows damn well how to defend herself,” Gerome restated, “This is our best plan. We need to find a place to live first and foremost.” Kjelle sighed and looked over at Cielle.

“Fine,” she grumbled.

“Everything will be okay, Aunt Kavelle. I promise,” she smiled reassuringly, only to get two unsure looks.

“We’ll take you into the woods first, so we know how to find you when we come back,” Gerome guided Minerva to the forest.

Kjelle and Cielle followed behind him, leading Michalis along the way.

\---

“I hate the cold,” Severa complained. She shivered in her fur-lined coat, wrapping it tightly around her so no heat could exit.

“I don’t know, I really like winter,” Yarne leapt down from the tree branch that he was sitting on, “It's pretty. Plus, there are less things out there to kill me!” He poked between her and Gerome, his large fluff of hair brushed against their faces.

“Don’t you hibernate or something?” she hissed, pushing the taguel’s hair from her face.

“You wish,” Yarne chuckled. The three were cooped up behind a fallen over tree, watching a group of brigands as they traveled through the thick blanket of snow. Unlike the other two, Gerome kept his gaze steady on their targets. The brigands were headed towards a small village. Gerome stood up.

“We need to get in closer,” he ordered the two. He stood and made his way closer to the group stealthily, hiding in the woods to cloak their dark armor and clothing. Severa and Yarne followed behind.

Once the three were close, they initiated their attack. Gerome took the front, Severa came in with an ambush from behind, and Yarne cut off any escapees. They made work of the invaders easily. While Severa and Yarne were tying them up, Gerome checked to see what exactly they had taken from the previous town.

Weaponry, food, winter clothing, and a handful of elixirs were taken. He checked the larger cart for anything else. There, he found a large chest of the town’s funds as well as a large sack. He moved the chest aside and untied the opening of the sack. As he peered inside, he was met with a fist flying at him. Startled, he stepped back from the sack and grabbed his poleaxe. He watched as a young woman, appearing to be around the same age as him and his comrades, crawled out of it.

“You tried to kidnap me!” she pointed at him. She rolled up the sleeves of her nightgown and stomped over to him barefoot in the snow.

“What? No, we saved you,” he tried to explain. He put down his axe and raised up his hands. “We took care of the brigands.”

“Like I’m going to believe that!”

Before the mysterious girl did anything else, Severa intervened. “Woah now, he’s telling the truth! The people who kidnapped you are back there tied up if you want to punch them.” She pointed with her thumb towards the pile of people tied up. The girl looked over at them and Yarne, who waved when he saw them looking over in his direction. “Ignore the furball, he couldn’t hurt a fly,” she shrugged.

“Wait, who’re you guys then?” she asked.

“I told you, we’re the people who saved-”

“We’re the people who saved you,” Severa interrupted Gerome, “our little group has been hunting down a big group of raiders coming in and out of towns and stealing their possessions. I guess you got pulled in the mix.” The girl nodded, stepping in place in the snow to keep warmth. The redhead gasped and quickly yanked her cloak off of herself. “Here take this. I’m not even that cold,” she laughed.

“You were just complaining about being cold,” Yarne yelled from a few feet away.

“Shut up!” Severa blushed. The girl wrapped herself up in the cloak, thanking her for sharing. “Oh yeah, where do you live? We can escort you home.”

“Aeresin, that big farming town? Just outside the capital,” she turned and scanned her surroundings, “I think I might need some help. I have no clue where I am.”

“We’re close to Plegia,” Gerome cut in, “It’d take a day-long journey at best to make it there.” He coughed. “Why not come to our camp? There’s more than just us, don’t worry.”

She nodded, her aqua eyes sparkling with her smile, “I’d appreciate that, thank you.”

\---

“We’re almost at a city,” Kjelle pointed out. Gerome looked up to see a large settlement. It bustled with life as people tried to sell their wares to the pair as they walked about.

“How far do you think we are from the castle?” he asked.

“Considering all the people that live here, probably not that far. Maybe we should ask someon- Oh, I’m sorry!” Kjelle gasped as she bumped into a young girl. She had long, honey colored hair with thin wisps of purple swirled within it.

“Its okay,” she beamed, “Would you like a flower?” She held out her basket, which held an array of different types of flowers and herbs.

“Well, we didn’t bring any money with us,” Kjelle lied, “However, do you think you could point us in the direction of your nation’s castle?”

The girl raised an eyebrow. Then, she glanced back and forth between the two. “Why do you need to go there?” she tilted her head.

“We’re from out of town,” Gerome said.

“Oh! So you’re lost?”

“Not in particular, but-”

“I’ll take you there, then!” She turned and bolted off past the marketplace. Gerome and Kjelle tired to keep up as she went down underground.

“This is a secret passageway,” she explained, “It's a lot quicker than trying to navigate the woods. So, how’d you guys get to Nohr?” The girl bounded down a set of stairs and through an elaborate set of tunnels like it was the back of her hand. There was a moment of silence between the two adults as they tried to come up with their reasoning.

“We’re looking for our friends,” Gerome blurted out.

“Do they live around here?” she asked.

“That’s what we were told.”

“How can you not know where they live if they’re your friends?” she turned to them with her hands on her hips.

“Well, we haven’t seen them in quite some time,” Kjelle explained. The girl’s expression changed.

“I think I get what you mean,” she nodded, “So do you think that the king will be able to help you find them?”

“That’s the plan,” Kjelle sighed.

“Well, you’re in luck,” she smiled and pointed down a large pathway with intricate detailing around the entrance, “The castle is just through those doors.”

“Thank you so much, um,” the dark haired woman tried to ask for the teen’s name.

“I’m Elise,” she beamed and then ran back the way she came. Kjelle smiled softly before turning back to Gerome.

“Ready?”

“Let’s get this over with.”

They walked down the dimly lit path into a large stone door. With their strengths combined, they pushed it open. On the other side, they found a bright hallway. Maids and butlers bustled about through the corridors. The cold winter air felt even more frigid inside the stone walls. Quietly, they attempted to navigate the interior, but couldn’t quite find their way.

“This place is like a damn labyrinth,” Gerome muttered under his breath. He and Kjelle turned the corner to bump into a maid. Her hair was a pale blue, tied up into twintails. “Pardon me,” he said.

The maid dropped the metal plate in her hand, but quickly grabbed the end before it hit the ground. “Who are you?” she asked, her tone just as cold as ice.

“We would like to seek council with the king. Where can we go to speak with him?”

“He is not on the grounds right now. He and his son went out horseback riding, but should be back within the hour. You may wait in the throne room.” She pointed down the passageway to their right, “It is the large double doors. You can’t miss it.”

“Thank you,” Kjelle nodded. They slipped past the maid, who went diligently back to her work after they left. They weren’t far from the throne room. The hallway was empty and their footsteps echoed through as the duo reached their destination. Gerome stopped and held his arm out to stop Kjelle as he saw someone standing post at the door. He stared at the peculiar looking girl, who appeared to be boredly standing at the entrance to the throne room.

She twirled the spear in her hand, her fluffy, multicolored hair bounced with each movement. “I can’t believe Laslow ditched me like this! When he gets back, I’m gonna-” the guard stopped when she saw Gerome and Kjelle standing there. She blinked and walked towards them. “We don’t take too kindly to trespassers here.”

“We’re here to speak with the king.”

“Lord Xander isn’t here right now,” her tone was cheerful, but her form was intimidating, “Come back later.” She pointed her lance in their faces.

“Peri, what are you doing?” a voice called from behind her.

She quickly lowered her weapon and bounced back over, “Nothing, my king! How was your ride?”

The king raised an eyebrow at the pair. “Who are those two?” he pointed at them.

“Oh! They were sneaking in. They said they wanted to see you,” she seemed to be more focused on polishing the blade of her weapon than Kjelle and Gerome’s presence.

“I see,” he looked back up at them, “You two, follow me.” He walked into the throne room with the pair following behind. He sat in the throne, a large and gaudy seat. The king, however, didn’t seem to fit the entitled air of the throne he sat upon. The air around him was humble, but still had the caringly stern look of an eldest sibling.

He crossed his legs, “What do you two need?”

Kjelle and Gerome quickly took a knee in front of him. “Your highness,” she started, “our group of three have come from a land far from this to find our friends. A mysterious, cloaked man led us here and we decided it would be best to request council with you. We need your help. We don’t have anything. No home, no money, only a small portion of rations that we packed-”

“We will do whatever you require of us,” Gerome stated.

The king sat there in a silent thought. He sighed and stood up, “Please don’t kneel like that. I’m not above you.” He stepped slowly down the stairs to them. He held his armored hands out to the two. “I will aid you with your search. I can see how much this means to you both. However, I am curious,” he pulled them up, “where is your third member?”

“She’s taking care of our mounts back in the woods.”

“I see,” he though, “That’s a very dangerous place, you know. My son and I were out riding just a bit ago and found a young girl with two wyverns almost get attacked. Luckily, we were able to help her.” A wave of dread washed over the pair. “That wouldn’t happen to be your third member, would it?”

“Is she okay?” Gerome asked. His eyebrows furrowed.

“Don’t fret, everything is fine. She’s here and with some of the other denizens of the castle. She will be fine,” Xander eased, “For now, we need to figure out what to do with you two.”

Kjelle nodded and followed as he walked down another hall that branched out from the throne room. Gerome stood still in the empty room, but quickly chased after them after seeing them leave.

“Do either of you have hobbies or skills? It could be easy to find a job for you in the city,” Xander guided them down a set of stone stairs into a dimly lit room. He then gestured to a lavender, silk-lined couch. “Please, sit.”

“Gerome knows how to sew and things like that pretty well,” she hesitated, “I’m not really good at much, other than fighting.” She sat down on the couch, making room for the other half of her duo to sit. He didn't.

“I see,” the blonde nodded. One of the two doors of the large common room opened. A familiar young girl bounded through. Gerome and Kjelle faces shared a confused look of confusion. “Hello, Elise.” She jumped, startled by his presence.

“Oh, hi Xander! I didn’t see you there,” she chuckled nervously.

“I won’t tell your retainers that you went out, don’t worry,” he smiled softly, “As long as you help me with these two.”

Elise turned and looked at them. Her eyes widened, “Huh? Hey, you guys made it! Did you find your friends yet?” Their dour faces were answer enough. “Oh, sorry.”

The king quickly switched the topic, “They’re going to be tailors for the royal family and their retainers, got it?” His younger sister nodded, already understanding her job.

“I’m pretty sure there’s an empty lot right outside the castle walls,” she tapped her index finger against her lip in thought, “Then they could get business from outside too!”

“Wonderful idea.”

“Want me to take them there?”

Xander looked at the two, “Any objections?”

“No, your majesty,” they said.

“There’s no need for that,” he waved, “Elise will lead you to your new home until you see it fit to leave. Your wyverns can stay in our stables, they’re the best around so don’t worry about that,” he stood up and extended his hand out to them. The pair took a turn to shake it and thank him. “Once you are settled, I will have some of the staff bring your belongings over. Now go on,” he shooed them off.

Elise slid past them to the main entrance of the manor. “So, you know how to sew?” she cocked an eyebrow at Gerome.

“Is that a problem?”

“No, you just don’t seem the type! You seem more dark and broody,” she lowered her tone to add emphasis to the end of her statement.

Kjelle laughed, “Oh trust me, he is!”

Gerome rolled his hidden eyes.

Once they passed the palace walls, Kjelle spoke up again, “So you’re a-”

“A princess?” Elise finished the statement.

“Yeah, that…”

“Mhm!”

“My apologies then, your highness, we didn’t know,” she bowed slightly as they walked.

“Oh don’t bother with that stuff. I’m not really a ‘your highness’ type, you know? I’m just Elise, nothing else! No titles here, got it?”

Kjelle nodded.

“Is this it?” Gerome looked at the shop, which was in town, but still close enough to the castle for quick trips to be possible by foot. It was decently sized and had another floor with multiple rooms for living in.

Elise opened the door and handed him the key, “Here you go, Mr. Seamster!”

“Please don’t call me that,” he grumbled.

“Too late,” she shoved them inside, “We can get you whatever you need! Plus, it’ll easy for you guys to get a good start. The city, especially the castle, has needed a new tailor for a while now.”

Gerome and Kjelle looked at each other and then back at Elise, who was balancing on her heels.

“What?” she smiled.

“What’s the catch?” he put a hand on his hip.

“Nothing!” the young princess raised her hands up in defense.

“That doesn’t sound like ‘nothing’,” Gerome pressured.

“Well,” she started, fiddling with her fingers, “We’re having a formal ball. I mean, not too formal but, you know. A fancy party! And we, um, we need clothes for it? Nice clothes! And the royal family of Hoshido and their retainers will be there as well, so we have to look our best! Don’t worry, it's not soon, but you’d be doing all of the clothes so we want you to have an idea of it in advance.”

“How many would we have to make?” Kjelle crossed her arms. Elise counted on her fingers the attendees that they would be dressing.

“Fifteen, it seems like,” she scratched the back of her head nervously, "Royal family and retainers and all that.”

“And how long do we have?” the wyvern rider, now seamster, sighed.

“Late spring, early summer!” Elise nodded. The winter snow didn’t bring much of a reassurance to the time they had left.

“Sounds nearly impossible,” Gerome started, “but I guess we’ll have no other choice.” The princess’ eyes lit up. She ran over and thanked them.

She stepped back, “Well, we best get you back on your way then! I believe you still had your belongings at home, right? Let’s get you all moved in!” Elise pivoted to face the door and began to bolt back the way they came. Kjelle shook her head with a sigh and followed, dragging Gerome along.

When they returned, the king had once again vanished. Elise led them to the stables, where there had been an array of different breeds of horse and wyvern, the common mounts of Nohr. After showing off her horse, she explained that the two dragons could stay at the stables without any trouble and they could visit as they please.

“Your stuff should be back somewhere in the throne room, I’m sure. Do you need any butlers or maids to help you?”

“No, but,” Kjelle’s face was knit with an expression of worry, “We had another member of our group. Do you know where she might be? She’s much younger than us, with the same color hair as him.” She pointed back at Gerome, who was tending to their wyverns. Elise hummed.

“I haven’t seen anyone like that. Then again, I did just get back when you guys had shown up.”

“The king- Your brother said she was with the other people that lived here.”

“Maybe,” the blonde looked at the castle, deducing the possible location, “I might have an idea where she would be. A bunch of the kids of the royal family and their retainers like to spend time with each other. She could be with them!”

Gerome stood up and approached them after hearing them, “Can you take us there?”

“Sure thing!” she took them back inside and up a winding set of stairs. The hall was illuminated by the low sun, the many openings in the walls offered a bite of the frigid winter air.

The trio continued walking, until a force bumped into them. “Oh, my apologies!” a soft-spoken young male held his hands up in surprise.

Elise chuckled, “No need to apologize, Sieg!” She gave the young man a pat on the back, who had a striking resemblance to the king. “Who’s your friend?”

“Ah,” the boy regained his composure, “We found her in the woods, she’s going to be a new maid here. Her name is Cos-”

“Father?” Cielle gasped.

“Cosette?” Gerome replied, equally as surprised.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading this chapter of Hide and Seek! I'm so sorry to have not posted in such a long time. I've been dealing with not only a huge writer's block, but also a lot of issues in regards to school and my senior year. Anyways, thank you so much for all the love and support that you guys have given this, it really means a lot to me. As always, feel free to give kudos and leave a comment if you have something to say. Thank you so much, and have a nice day!

**Author's Note:**

> Here I am, back at it! Oh man, I really have missed writing. I hope that I can get back into the swing of things pretty easily. Anyways, I'm hoping to post chapters on a weekly basis. This fic is so easy and fun to write, since I love the characters and series so much. Hopefully you guys like what I've written! If you did, please give Kudos and/or leave a nice comment! I'd love to hear what you all think. Thank you for reading, and I hope you have a nice day!


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